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Loading... Mexico (1992)by James A. Michener
Historical Fiction (503) Time-Sweep Novels (24) Loading...
Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. I have read quite a few of Michener's books and learned a lot from them. Sometimes they can be a little dry but you learn a lot. This book read differently for me. The novel was about an epic bullfight, along with a lot of information about the rules and traditions. Interspersed in the book came the more usual Michener style of history told through realistic people that helped me understand the complex history of Mexico and the origins of many of its people. I almost thought at the end of the book (over 600 pages) that this really could have been 2 separate books.I really wanted the emphasis to be one or the other. This is about generations of the Clay/Palafox family extending back to the Altomec indians and beyond. The nucleus of the story revolves around bullfighting, and I learned more about bullfighting than I ever wanted to know, but the descriptiveness of the author drew me in, and I was captivated by the history; especially the ancient history. I would call this one a historical epic! This is my first Michener epic, and I am sure I will read others. This novel was very long, but still a great story with great characters. Seems to me you need to have a decent amount of patience and time to devote to a book like this. It is centered on Mexico, specifically, the narrator’s family history from ancient times to present. It shows a grand view of Mexico and its people and gives you many sides to the story of this very intriguing place. The narrator, Norman Clay, comes from a Mexican family with very important ancestry. Indeed this story could not be told from an average person’s viewpoint. Norman’s family line goes all the way back to important Indians who lived and worked to build the giant pyramid and on the other side, the Spanish settlers who came to bring Christianity and to see what they could take. Norman is an important journalist, back in Mexico after many years away to cover an important bullfight, mano y mano—two matadors (one Spanish, one Indian) who are going to fight it out. Mexico is an amazing history of bullfighting, a well constructed novel with subplots that are all tied together. An epic, definitely a learning experience. no reviews | add a review
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HTML:Pulitzer Prize–winning author James A. Michener, whose novels hurtle from the far reaches of history to the dark corners of the world, paints an intoxicating portrait of a land whose past and present are as turbulent, fascinating, and colorful as any other on Earth. When an American journalist travels to report on the upcoming duel between two great matadors, he is ultimately swept up in the dramatic story of his own Mexican ancestry—from the brilliance and brutality of the ancients, to the iron fist of the invading Spaniards, to modern Mexico, fighting through dust and bloodshed to build a nation upon the ashes of revolution. Architectural splendors, frenzied bullfights, horrific human sacrifice: Michener weaves them all into an epic human story that ranks with the best of his beloved bestselling novels. Praise for Mexico “Michener the storyteller at his finest . . . There are splendid and authentic scenes in the plaza de toros that are as dramatic as any written by Ernest Hemingway or Barnaby Conrad.”—The New York Times Book Review “Astounding . . . fast-moving, intriguing . . . Michener is back in huge, familiar form with Mexico.”—Los Angeles Daily News “An enthralling story . . . Michener artfully combines the history of Mexico with the art of bullfighting, teaching the reader about both and telling a grand story at the same time.”—St. Louis Post-Dispatch “A novel of epic proportions, abounding in visual and historical detail.”—Richmond Times-Dispatch. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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